


Take it Slow

by VoodooCircuitboard



Series: Cups Verse [3]
Category: Hijack - Fandom, How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012), frostcup - Fandom
Genre: HiJack March Madness 2015, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 17:45:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11994825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoodooCircuitboard/pseuds/VoodooCircuitboard
Summary: Continuation of 2.5 Kids & The CatchHiccup, Jack and Stoick head to the mountains. Jack plays, Hiccup works. Also, conversations about marriage. Yup.





	Take it Slow

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** Hijack March Madness Day 24 (Travel)  
>  **Warnings:** language, kissing, horrendous humor ( <— yes that caliber), embarrassing situations, meta, misuse of movie quotes  
>  **Summary:** Continuation of 2.5 Kids (Day 22)  & The Catch (Day 23); Hiccup, Jack and Stoick head to the mountains. Jack plays, Hiccup works. Also, conversations about marriage. Yup.

Jack woke up when Hiccup poked his cheek. He squinted at Hiccup, who seemed to be fully dressed, even wearing a heavy coat. Jack rubbed his face just to make sure he wasn’t still dreaming. “Hiccup?” He asked, voice rough.

“Hi. You can go back to sleep in a second, but I wanted to let you know that my dad and I will be gone until evening. I didn’t want you to freak out when you realized you were alone in the house.”

“Out? Where are you going with, you know . . . ?” He waved his hand at Hiccup.

“You just gestured to all of me,” Hiccup frowned. “Are you criticizing my outfit? I will smack you.”

“No, buttercup, I’m just wondering why you got the whole Apple Bottom jeans, boots with the fur thing going on.”

“We’re going out to our rental properties to defrost some pipes and do maintenance stuff. My dad’s already got reservations coming next week, but it’s been way colder than usual in the mountains. Gotta make sure everything’s up to par.”

Jack blinked slowly at him, as if he couldn’t discern what language Hiccup was speaking. “Are you telling me . . . you’re gonna go up to the mountains where it’s super snowy and _pristine_ and play in a buncha cabins?” 

“If you want to make it sound like it’ll be more fun than it actually will be, then yes.”

Jack bolted upright. “Don’t leave yet. I wanna go, too! Can you guys wait like twenty minutes for me to get ready?”

“We’re all set to go now, though.”

“Please? Please, peanut butter cup—I let you be big spoon!” Jack made great faces, and his pouty, pleading face was no different.

“You know, I could do that same kinda thing to your name, too. Probably with much more success. Jack off, jackass—”

“Please?”

Hiccup sagged and nodded. “Okay, I’ll go ask my dad. Hurry up.”

Jack flew out of the room.

\--

“So,” Stoick said, coughing after taking a sip of coffee. He handed his green, metal thermos to Hiccup, who held it between his thighs. They were in a work truck that lacked many newer comforts and could only be described as utilitarian. Jack was squished behind the Haddocks in the back, where the seats were sideways and faced one another. Even with the other seat free, his legs were bent awkwardly. “How did you boys sleep?”

“Fine,” replied Hiccup, who looked nervously out the window.

“Yeah, it woulda been great if someone wasn’t squishing me all night. You know, for a little guy, you sure are heavy.”

Hiccup was shaking in front of him, eyebrows knotted and front teeth worrying his bottom lip. Even in the altered reflection from the mirrors, Jack could tell Hiccup was bright red. There was a horrible silence before Stoick said something even more horrible: “That’s my boy!”

“Dad, no, no, nonononono, oh my God, no,” Hiccup pressed his face into the dash. “Jack!”

“Oh! Sorry, yeah, haha, I didn’t mean it like that!” Jack ran his fingers through his hair with a breezy laugh that Hiccup both envied and hated at the moment. “We didn’t do _that_. We’re not gonna . . . That’s not to say we _haven’t_ , but we won’t and oh my God!” He couldn’t control himself. “I mean, I have never, ever touched your son, Mr. Haddock. We’ve only held hands, I swear!”

“This is it,” said Hiccup. “This is the last day of my life. I’m going to die right in this truck.”

“Haha!” Stoick laughed, instantly lightening the mood. “It’s not right to swear something and not mean it, Jackson. Don’t lie to people, be a man of your word. And Hiccup—” Hiccup hugged the thermos and tried to make himself as small as possible, chanting _no no no_ “—I don’t need those kinds of details about your love life, son, but I do know it exists! So quit trying to pretend you’re not . . .” He waved a large hand at his son.

Hiccup frowned. “You just gestured to all of me.” This was really familiar. Fuck everyone. “Do you mean . . . gay?” That seemed counter to what Hiccup had learned this break.

Stoick laughed again. “No! I mean a twenty year old male, haha!”

Jack laughed too, and Hiccup mumbled, “I hate both of you.”

\--

They parked in front of the management office, which was at the bottom of the mountain. Hiccup buckled a thick belt laden with tools and pouches of things across his waist. He swapped his casual winter gloves out for work gloves, and lifted a single brow, smirking at Jack. “You gonna go play? Dad said you can use that one,” he indicated a snowmobile with his thumb. Stoick, who was checking it out, looked up at them and nodded.

“You sure I can’t help you?”

“Promise. We’ve been doing this since I can remember. We have a routine.” He grinned at Jack. “Go have fun, go travel around and check out the area. Just don’t kill yourself, okay?”

“Me and winter go hand in hand, buttercup. So what, like, how will I know when to come back and all that?”

“Our phones work out here, so yeah, I’ll probably just call you. Don’t forget to check your phone every now and then.”

“’Kay,” Jack pressed his forehead to Hiccup’s. Hiccup bit his lip when Jack smiled. “Don’t take too long.”

“I-I won’t.”

“I think I’ll just go make sure I grabbed everything from the shed!” Stoick shouted and lumbered away without any subtlety.

“Jack, fuck, my dad totally is giving us privacy so we can, you know.”

“I know? Haha, well, if he’s being magnanimous, we should take advantage of it. Like this,” he kissed Hiccup on the cheek, “or this,” he kissed his lips.

“You are seriously going to kill me one day, I can’t, I can’t—”

“Hey, look at me. There you go. Open your mouth, buttercup.”

\--

It was totally true that Jack and winter went hand in hand, and so Hiccup had nothing to worry about. That didn’t mean that he didn’t work a little faster than usual, though.

Stoick didn’t say anything if he noticed.

\--

Jack flew across the snow in that snowmobile. That sucker was badass! Growing up in a similar environment as Hiccup, Jack easily avoided danger and maximized the fun. There’s were all sortsa cool things to see, like this frozen pond with maybe two or three puddle-like holes in it. Ducks swam around in the water like it was nothing. Blackbirds shook snow off branches when they landed. Snowflakes were so big and untouched that, when delicately lifted with a fingertip, their insanely detailed crystalline patterns were visible.

He didn’t just zoom around. Once he found an area that interested him, he got on foot and explored. He wondered what the forest looked like in the summer. In the winter, it was almost dormant, static, lifeless. Jack knew that wasn’t true, though. Underneath it all, hidden, winter teemed. This kind of natural sleep ensured the awakening of everything green. How could so many see the beauty of summer but not of winter? Hiccup said winter could be dreary and make people hopeless. To Jack, winter signified something impending and exciting, the cusp of a new beginning. Spring brought that change, no doubt, but winter facilitated it in the best ways. He spread his arms wide.

This winter paralleled Jack’s life—he was just waiting, waiting for his fresh start. He smiled up at the sky. He and Hiccup . . . they were gonna go far.

His phone rang.

“Hiccup! I was just thinking about you! Well, I’m always thinking about you, but like, really pondering, you know?”

“Uh,” Hiccup coughed. “Is that, uh, is that a good thing?”

“Of course! Are you already done? It feels like it hasn’t been anything at all. What, like, two hours?”

“More like six, but yeah. I think dad’s cutting me some slack this year, since he said he’d get the last two and insisted I go have fun, so.”

“Cool! And no way did six fucking hours pass!”

“I’m sure it was all very exciting for you, but on my end, it really did feel like six hours.”

“Aww. Okay, so should I just come back, or?”

“I’ll come to you. You’ll hafta use some phone data, but pull up that link I gave you earlier. It’s an integrated map of the area. You can find your position by using your compass app and comparing it to the sections of the map. Then just text me, and I’ll be able to find it.”

“Seriously? Holy fuck. That’s really convenient for people in the mountains, haha.”

“Well, I’ve only mapped out our property, but yeah.”

“Wait, you made the map? When? How?”

“Years ago, with ArcGIS software and loads of walking. I told you, my dad and I have been coming out here for ages.” Hiccup laughed.

“You’re wonderful.”

“Hang up now and figure out where you are, okay? Haha, Jack, if you don’t get off the phone, I’ll never be able to find you.”

“Okay, okay! I’m on it, buttercup!”

\--

“That was fast!” Jack exclaimed after Hiccup killed the engine and waved at him.

“Well yeah. You’re never gonna get lost if you’re with me.” Hiccup walked up to Jack and teasingly pushed his shoulder. Jack stumbled maybe one step.

Jack’s eyes were shining. He couldn’t hide his joy, face belying everything. “You mean that literally or figuratively?”

“Oh man,” Hiccup hugged him, “both. You make me laugh.”

“I’m being totally serious here!”

“Right.”

“I am. Hiccuuuuuuup.”

“Okay! So,” he pulled back and looked at Jack, “what do you wanna do? I know where there’s a frozen waterfall, and yeah, well, that’s basically the only cool thing out here.”

“Hiccup,” Jack said, almost conspiratorially. “Everything’s cool out here.”

Hiccup shoved his shoulder again. “You’re awful.”

“Yeah, let’s check that out. Then let’s—”

“Eat. Well, right there with you on that one. Come on, I’ll lead the way. Don’t fall behind.”

“You’re in my element, teacup.”

“We’ll see about that.”

\--

“Wow,” Jack said, jumping off his machine only seconds behind Hiccup. He looked up to the top of the frozen fall. The water had solidified in a cascading pattern, like the way it probably ran when it was awake. The ice was a dull green beneath the sheer white. “That’s awesome.”

“Don’t you mean cool?” Hiccup snickered.

Jack tossed an arm around Hiccup’s neck. “Yep.”

“Just don’t try to climb it or something.”

“Hey! I’m not an idiot. Besides, can’t have my future husband taking care of an invalid if I break my spine or some shit.”

Hiccup nodded. “Hmm. I’m not really your future husband though. First, we’d hafta be engaged. I’m more like your future fiancé.”

Jack squeezed him but stared only at the waterfall. “You haven’t asked me either.”

“Are you in a hurry?”

“No, but . . .” Jack used his free hand to rub his nose. He still avoided looking at Hiccup, even though he held him close to his side. “Do you think there’s a difference between dating and talking about marriage in the future, or being engaged and postponing marriage until, you know, we’re not under legal drinking age in some countries?”

“That question went from general to specific in a second.” Hiccup shrugged. “But yeah, I think there’s a difference. Maybe it’s just symbolic, though. I don’t know, Jack, I’ve never been engaged.”

“That’s right!” Jack swiveled in front of Hiccup so fast the poor kid looked a little horrified for an instant. “That’s what I think, too! There’s a difference. We don’t have to get married immediately, but we should get engaged, to show our intent!”

“Uh huh . . .” Hiccup made a face. “If we agree on this, why does it feel like we’re fighting?”

Jack shook his head and gave Hiccup a brilliant smile. “Because we’re not engaged yet!” He kissed Hiccup on the forehead. “But we will be soon!”

“Jack, I think this conversation counts—”

“No, no! No, buttercup! I have it all planned out but everything’s back home, so please? You gotta let me ask you the way I want, okay?!”

“Shit, okay, don’t freak out.” Hiccup was unable to mask his euphoria, even when his voice didn’t waver. Like Jack, Hiccup had a great face. Super expressive. Jack lifted Hiccup and spun with him. Hiccup laughed. “Well there’s no doubt now that I’m taller than you.”

“I’m holding you like ten feet high.”

“Try a centimeter.”

“Twenty feet!”

\--

On the way home, Hiccup graciously let Jack have the passenger seat while he cramped up in the back. He idly scratched at the frost on the window.

Jack was texting. He was a ridiculously fast texter, fingers blurring as they tapped on the phone screen. “Hey Hiccup?” he asked.

“Hi Jack.”

“If you had like, a bajillion dollars and could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“A bajillion dollars, huh? Do I get to choose multiple places, or is this a oneshot kinda deal?”

“No, no, multiple!”

“In that case, I guess I would hit up all the world’s Wonders first, then check out all those sweet beaches they have on travel magazines with those spas where the people burn you with rocks or whatever.”

Jack snorted.

“Why?”

“Just wondering. Jamie says ‘hi’ by the way.”

“Oh. Hi Jamie.” Hiccup yawned. “Dad, how long until we’re back?”

“Maybe another hour, son! Gobber’s making us dinner as we speak! A feast fit for Vikings.”

“That’s good,” Hiccup said absently. He closed his eyes.

Jack glanced at him after several minutes of hearing nothing. Out cold. He turned back towards the windshield. “Mr. Haddock, there’s something I want to ask you later. Do you think you’ll have time when we get back? It’s not really truck conversation.”

“Of course, Jack,” Stoick said, impressing Jack with his controlled and quiet voice.

“Great. Thanks.”

Before they reached home, Jack closed his eyes too. Stoick smiled at them. What good kids.

**Author's Note:**

> I made maps like Hiccup's, using ArcGIS software, back when I studied abroad 8D


End file.
